Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Metastatic Potential in Cancer
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2025) | Viewed by 1184
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cancer genetics; gastro-intestinal oncology; oligo-metastatic disease; molecular oncology; precision oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: histology; molecular biology; pathology; cancer biomarkers; cancer metastasis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, representing a complex cascade of events that enable cancer cells to disseminate from the primary tumor, survive in transit, and colonize distant organs. Understanding the molecular underpinnings that drive metastasis is crucial for developing targeted therapies that can effectively hinder this lethal process.
Deep scientific exploration of certain areas can be fundamental to understanding the phenomenon of metastasis. Specifically, defining the genetic regulators of metastasis can be achieved through the identification and characterization of genes and epigenetic alterations that enhance metastatic potential and/or drive organotropism. This includes the role of specific oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, DNA epigenetic modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Furthermore, direct evidence of the molecular partners involved in metastasis can come from proteomic insights into metastatic progression. In this context, proteomic profiles associated with metastatic versus non-metastatic cancer cells can elucidate the functional roles of specific proteins in cell migration, invasion, and colonization. Post-translational modifications and their impact on metastatic behavior is another field that warrants in-depth investigation. Finally, the identification of signaling pathways involved in the metastatic cascade (including epithelial–mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, immune evasion, etc.) can be crucial. All the phenomena and potential areas of interest described can lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets impacting metastatic behavior.
Leading by Prof. Dr. Alessandro Ottaiano and Dr. Annabella Di Mauro, assisting by our Topical Advisory Panel Member Dr. Mariachiara Santorsola（Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS–Fondazione G Pascale), this Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing molecular factors influencing tumor metastasis. Articles consisting exclusively of bioinformatics or computational analyses of public databases or pure clinical studies will not be accepted. Predictive models of metastatic progression based on molecular data from real-world patients are welcome.
Prof. Dr. Alessandro Ottaiano
Dr. Annabella Di Mauro
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- cancer metastasis
- cancer virulence
- oncogenes
- epithelial-mesenchymal transition
- angiogenesis
- cancer genetics
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